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New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra was expelled from Lok Sabha in the ‘Cash-For-Query’ Case as member of parliament for ‘unethical conduct’, following the Ethics Committee report recommendations accepted on voice vote. A few days post her expulsion, Mahua Moitra moved Supreme Court and has challenged her expulsion in the apex court. The leader is now seeking an urgent hearing on her plea from Supreme Court. CJI DY Chandrachud is likely to consider Moitra’s ‘urgent hearing plea’ on expulsion as Lok Sabha MP, for today.
As mentioned earlier, the Chief Justice of India may consider Mahua Moitra’s request for ‘urgent hearing’ in her case challenging expulsion from the Lower House of the Parliament as MP. Mahua Moitra’s lawyer, Abhishek Manu Singhvi had mentioned the case before the CJI Bench where the latter had asked him to follow the official procedure and send a mail of the matter to the registrar. To this, the senior advocate clarified that the mail has already been sent; the CJI is most likely to consider the urgent plea, as he had assured for the same.
As mentioned earlier, Mahua Moitra had moved the Supreme Court days after her expulsion from Lok Sabha as MP in connection with the ‘cash-for-query’ case. After being expelled, Moitra lashed out at the Ethics Panel for ‘acting without proof’ and also said that it was becoming a ‘weapon’ to ‘bulldoze’ Opposition. “The ‘money trail’ of cash transaction between Smt Mahua Moitra and Shri Darshan Hiranandani as a part of ‘quid pro quo’ should be investigated by the Government of India in a legal, institutional and time-bound manner,” the report said. It said that a “threadbare examination” had established, beyond doubt, that Moitra had “deliberately” shared her Lok Sabha login credentials with businessman Darshan Hiranandani. “Therefore, Smt Mahua Moitra is guilty of unethical conduct, breach of her privileges available to members of Parliament and contempt of the House.”
After her expulsion as Member of Parliament for “unethical conduct”, Moitra lashed out at the government, saying that the Ethics Committee has no power to expel and this is the beginning of the BJP’s end. Moitra strongly criticised the decision, likening it to being sentenced by a “kangaroo court” and accusing the government of weaponising parliamentary panels to coerce the opposition into submission. Moitra said: “There is no evidence or any cash, any gifts anywhere. Expulsion is based on the ground that I have shared my Lok Sabha portal login. There are no rules to govern the share of the login. As the hearing of the Ethics Committee demonstrates, all of us MPs are conveyor belts to get questions from the public, from citizens to voice that in Parliament.”
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